Over the weekend, I thought about exactly what Nkandla means to us. And I had an idea. What if the price wasn’t simply a figure on the wall, an attempt to assign value to an item taking into consideration what went into making it, and instead became a part of the art itself?
When the budget for improvements to Nkandla was first calculated in 2009, it was set at R23 million. By the time the Public Protector had concluded her report, that price had risen to R246 million.
Inspired by Nkandla, I’ve taken a different approach to art pricing. Instead of offering a standard price which remains unchanged, the price of the panels will increase over time. Every day, the price will escalate. (I will need to allow for the price of materials, transport costs and consultants after all.) The final total price for all eight panels will reach R246,000 in an echo of the work’s inspiration.
If the work is sold before then, it will go at that day’s price. 20% of my profits will go to Home of Hope, an NGO which rescues vulnerable girls in Hillbrow and Berea, so if anyone buys the work at Nkandla prices, Mam’ Khanyi and the girls will also benefit.
Every day, I will tweet an updated price of the panels with the hashtag #Firepool. You can find me @Anatinus.